A Story of Culture Shock and a Scam in Palermo

[CulturalEvolution236]

I'm American and grew up poor. My girlfriend is Venezuelan and from an extremely dangerous city. We're both from violent places and really felt that fact in Buenos Aires. We plan on moving to Argentina and so we traveled to BA a few months ago. We stayed in a beautiful apartment in Palermo with AirBnB. The door was broken and the kitchen wasn't working. She joked in Spanish to my girlfriend that it didn't matter since she had a gringo to take her out every night. The comment was a little annoying then, but her attitude is why we were scammed: she thought I had money. She was growing marijuana on the roof and me and her joked about it through text. I guess I figured she was down-to-earth because of that.

After about a week, my girlfriend and I hear screaming from next door one night. It was horrific screaming. They were begging "Please! No! I love you!" It sounded like a murder happening. Instead of calling the police, I put a kitchen knife in my back pocket and went over. The neighbor was beating his kids (I don't know how culturally acceptable it is there). He is taken aback that I even went over. Once the knife fell out of my pocket, he was indignant and furious. I get the knife inside to make him know it's safe. The whole time he's standing there "How dare you? That is unacceptable! This is MY apartment! I have every right to discipline my kids! This is a civilized country! etc." My only concern at that point is the police and I try to calm the situation. Eventually it devolves into a screaming match between him and my girlfriend and we just shut the door. He never called the police.

Walking through the street the next day, I begin to feel like a black cloud. We're prepared for violence always. The people all around me seem so soft. I start wondering if he's right. Maybe we're violent people better suited to the slums of Brazil or Colombia. I feel like a monster or a savage among these people and can't wait to get back to Brazil.

When the time comes to finally leave, I can't wait to get away. Despite us paying a large cleaning fee, she was angry and disgusted that we didn't wash the sheets, make the bed or fold the towels that were drying.I figured that's why we paid a huge cleaning fee, but oh well. She told us we were dirty people and bid us farewell. I went without Wifi for almost two days. When I finally got it back in Sao Paolo, I was met with a stream of angry Whatsapp messages and an e-mail from AirBnB. They already took $200 for damages to the stove and door and were going to take more after investigating! In the end she claimed that we damaged every one of her cups and plates, the blinds, her sheets and blankets, her door, her shower and her stove. She was basically trying to remodel the apartment off of us. She put nothing in writing about the door or stove and we had no AirBnB history so they sided with her and attempted to charge us $450 for them. And if you're wondering if I mentioned the marijuana, I did and sent clear pictures. AirBnB insisted there was no cannabis on the property.

I know that's a bit long but I wanted to share it. I suppose the moral of the story is say "no" to vigilante justice and always leave your AirBnB spotless.

tl;dr: Confronted a child abuser with potential violence and felt like a violent savage in Buenos Aires. Upset the AirBnB host and was charged $450 for damages that existed when we got there.

 

[Macanudo]

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate experiences in Buenos Aires. Sounds like your good intentions may have helped the abused children next door. Thanks for taking the time to share. I rented an apartment once that still had food in the cupboards and refrigerator , the bed was not made and had dirty sheets and the rest of the apartment was not clean at all. The landlord said, don't worry about it, when you move out you don't have to clean it. When I moved, it was cleaner than when I moved in but the landlord tried to keep my deposit. I had to take him to small claims court and won the claim using another technicallity that he didn't know about, even though he was bragging in court that he'd been a realtor for 30 years. After that I had to go through the process of garnishing his wages. A lot of time and effort spent to recover my deposit.

 

[sergio]

Better to stay in Brazil. Good luck.

 

[sts7049]

always communicate to your airbnb host through the app. never outside of it. this is a good reason why.

if you found things broken when you arrived did you point them out to the host?

 

[Rich One]

First Price for Short stories Contest...!

 

[Joglide]

I'm American and grew up poor. My girlfriend is Venezuelan and from an extremely dangerous city. We're both from violent places and really felt that fact in Buenos Aires. We plan on moving to Argentina and so we traveled to BA a few months ago. We stayed in a beautiful apartment in Palermo with AirBnB. The door was broken and the kitchen wasn't working. She joked in Spanish to my girlfriend that it didn't matter since she had a gringo to take her out every night. The comment was a little annoying then, but her attitude is why we were scammed: she thought I had money. She was growing marijuana on the roof and me and her joked about it through text. I guess I figured she was down-to-earth because of that.

After about a week, my girlfriend and I hear screaming from next door one night. It was horrific screaming. They were begging "Please! No! I love you!" It sounded like a murder happening. Instead of calling the police, I put a kitchen knife in my back pocket and went over. The neighbor was beating his kids (I don't know how culturally acceptable it is there). He is taken aback that I even went over. Once the knife fell out of my pocket, he was indignant and furious. I get the knife inside to make him know it's safe. The whole time he's standing there "How dare you? That is unacceptable! This is MY apartment! I have every right to discipline my kids! This is a civilized country! etc." My only concern at that point is the police and I try to calm the situation. Eventually it devolves into a screaming match between him and my girlfriend and we just shut the door. He never called the police.

Walking through the street the next day, I begin to feel like a black cloud. We're prepared for violence always. The people all around me seem so soft. I start wondering if he's right. Maybe we're violent people better suited to the slums of Brazil or Colombia. I feel like a monster or a savage among these people and can't wait to get back to Brazil.

When the time comes to finally leave, I can't wait to get away. Despite us paying a large cleaning fee, she was angry and disgusted that we didn't wash the sheets, make the bed or fold the towels that were drying.I figured that's why we paid a huge cleaning fee, but oh well. She told us we were dirty people and bid us farewell. I went without Wifi for almost two days. When I finally got it back in Sao Paolo, I was met with a stream of angry Whatsapp messages and an e-mail from AirBnB. They already took $200 for damages to the stove and door and were going to take more after investigating! In the end she claimed that we damaged every one of her cups and plates, the blinds, her sheets and blankets, her door, her shower and her stove. She was basically trying to remodel the apartment off of us. She put nothing in writing about the door or stove and we had no AirBnB history so they sided with her and attempted to charge us $450 for them. And if you're wondering if I mentioned the marijuana, I did and sent clear pictures. AirBnB insisted there was no cannabis on the property.

I know that's a bit long but I wanted to share it. I suppose the moral of the story is say "no" to vigilante justice and always leave your AirBnB spotless.

tl;dr: Confronted a child abuser with potential violence and felt like a violent savage in Buenos Aires. Upset the AirBnB host and was charged $450 for damages that existed when we got there.

 

[Joglide]

Always tricky to intervene in a domestic, including armed, though I sympathise with landlord-landlady issues. Not unique. I did a long let with a guy in Almagro via AirBB and paid everything as required including cleaning fee. Apartment was problematic with faulty fittings, dirty beer bottles etc and esp no lock on balcony door which was accessible from next door etc. Even so no complaints and just got on with enjoying BA. The big issue as hot weather came was that the apartment would go for whole days without any water at all. Landlord (I never met him in person and his assistant never came despite requests( expressed surprise and only after I said I must communicate with AirBB did he reveal that the building had been constructed with a small water tank and was long standing issue as half the tenants wanted to take builder to court and half to buy a bigger tank. So no solution and AirBB suggested I could insist on rent rebate and even compensation and move. By this time I was into my last month and advised AirBB I would be happy not to be compensated as long as they could persuade landlord to rectify problem for future tenants as 10-12 days in scorching weather with no water even to brush your teeth was not pleasant. Landlord took umbrage at my contacting them though he acknowledged he had responded to nothing I had requested. I wrote a critical review but not before he had decided on his retaliation by claiming I left place dirty and worst in his ten years of renting etc etc. Clearly aimed to discredit any criticism and refuse any responsibility for problems. Several lets later I have generally very positive experiences and reviews from both me and landlords. The key is as people here say, be clear and polite in your expressions of concern about anything significant and simply ask for problems to be addressed. You may not get solutions but at least you have shown courtesy and consideration, and any claim that you are not being civilised can be dealt with.

 

[db887]

Purpose of this dribble is clearly to get sympathy starting from the very first bolshevik style virtue signaling sentence "I'm American and grew up poor". Secondly, normal people take action when kinds are abused, not debating if its "culturally acceptable". They do not drop sharp objects while arguing and they are are not scared of shadows in major metropolis either.

And finally, couple time stamped photos taken upon leave and sent to abnb settles matter conclusively to complete great vacations.

 

[Stantucker]

Purpose of this dribble is clearly to get sympathy starting from the very first bolshevik style virtue signaling sentence "I'm American and grew up poor". Secondly, normal people take action when kinds are abused, not debating if its "culturally acceptable". They do not drop sharp objects while arguing and they are are not scared of shadows in major cities.

And finally, couple time stamped photos taken upon leave and sent to abnb settles matter conclusively to complete great vacations.

What a smug and heartless comment, and those are the nicest things I can say about it.

 

[perry]

https://www.airbnb.com.ar/rooms/3990394?preview_for_ml=true&guests=1&adults=1

For many years I have been running many airbnb apartments and I pride myelf in being a caring host with over 65 five star reviews .. I have had over 500 bookings through this system and 95% have been great . Unfortunately you will get clients that will be very difficult and nothing will please them . It is well known that to get out of a booking from airbnb is to use the insect option ( explained in great detail in google ) This has happened to me three times in 5 years in this apartment with it being resolved to my favor in all cases . AIRBNB is aware of this scam now as it less likely to offer a refund to guests without a lot of proof . In general Argentinian apartments have much less insects in them than Australia or the USA . Sydney where I grew up has a terrible problem with this and constant fumigating is needed .

For me a guest in my home is a honour and I will do everything possible to make them feel comfortable . Most human beings are decent and caring . I have found though if one does have a problem with a rented apartment its best to be diplomatic at all times and offer a solution .
I have returned a few times the full amount of a rental booking as I could see that the client did not feel comfortable with the space or the neighbourhood . I cannot understand those owners who try to make extra money on their renters . This to me is shameful . Charging for sheets when they are already worn and frayed, and other small items . Please do not sweat the small stuff life is too short to make enemies . Remember being a property host is a excellent business and can give you great dividends .